Filtering apparatus and process



April 1 7, 1945. F. H. McBERTY FILTERNG APPARATUS AND PROCESS Filed Aug.f20.v1942 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 17, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT. Norf-tirer.

FILTERING AItPARATUS AND PROCESS Ford Il. McBerty, Newark, Del., assignor-to-E; I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., aicorporation of Delawarev I Application August 20, 19452, Serial-No.'455,4'27

1 claims. fm1. 21u-.201) t This invention vrelates to filtration, especially` to increasing the eiciencyj of continuous vac- Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspectve view of a conventional continuous vacuum filters. More particularlyit appertains tov means and ways of decreasingthe amount of residual liquor in filter cakes on continuous rotary vacuum filters.

In the manufacture of white pigments such as titanium dioxide (U. S. A. Patents Re.'18',790 to Mecklenberg and Re. 18,854 to Blumenfeld),V lithopone, zinc sulfide, etc., it is common-pracfllter the same on a. continuous vacuum filter before calcining. Heretofore cracking of the cake,Y and consequent poorer vacuum, has been a feature in the operation of such filters, par-Q ticularly those ofthe Oliver type (Handbook of O re Dressing-Taggart-l927, pages 1002-8). The resulting excess of water remaining in the fissured cake had to be removed in the more expensive steps of drying` and calcining The primary object of this invention was to prevent the early weakening or loss of -vacuum in drum nlters. Another important object was to decrease the amount of fuel (oil) needed to prepare .a titanium dioxide pigment from the precipitate freed by hydrolysis of the titanium solution.

Otherv objects were' to increase the efficiency of continuousvacuum filters; to'decrease the amount of liquid in the cake from continuous drum filters; to decrease the cost of calcining pigments; to compact' the cake on continuous filters; to close up the gaps or fissures.' in filter cakes created by the removal of fil-v trate through the filter drums; to improvethe filter cake seal on vacuum filters; land to puddle' the liquor out o'fA continuous filter cakes.' A general advance in the art, and other objects which will appear hereinafter, are alsocontemplated. y

It has nowbeen found that the application 'vof a rapidly vibrating baracross -the surfacevof a continuous filter cake during the removal of the mother liquor therefrom, in the manuel` described in detail hereinafter, increases the efficiencyof the filter, reduces the amount of liquid in the cake. and lessens the costoffcalcining the cake.

'tice to precipitate the desiredv compound and ally indicated at '8, supports vibrating bars or I -num drum filter equipped with the vvibrating line tion, of one of the supports for the Vpivot edgev of the frame. l Similar characters {indicate similar parts throughout the drawing.

4Referring now to Figure 1, there is indicated generally at 9 a continuous vacuum drum filter,

above which a 'frame of -structural steel, generblades 20 and 3l. The frame has a generally rectangular base, 'fulcrumed or pivoted on a series of resiiientrsupports'60,88a, 60h, 60e, etc., along one edge.

the filter drum 'I I, and the overhanging portion carries cross vibration-unit supports 83 and 8l.

These supports are T-shaped'structural units built up (by weldingi offordinary steel lchan nel 'sections positionedat right angles to 'e'ach other. The stems of the Tsare riveted to suitable angle brackets which in turn are bolted to the 'frame side members 8| and 82: A series of holes 34, 35 '36 et alii inthe sidepieces pro- Avides for changes in location of the brackets.

The vibrating. blades 2li4 and 30 are preferably Monel metal strips of -rectangular-cross-section How the foregoing objects and related ends` are 'accomplishedmill be apparent from the following exposition, in which are disclosed the y principle. and diversembodiments of the invention,v including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the same. 'I'he written description is amplified by the .accompanying drawing,v in which:

.about 0.5 inch thick and 3 to 4 'inches widihsecured to angle .pieces 2 2 and l32 by means of nuts and bolts 2l and n. The angle strips 22 and 32 are permanently secured tov the box section cross-heads 2| and-II. An .additional angle piece on the opposite side of the blade may be utilized, if desired. Each cross-.head is carried by two vibrator units, 2| `by vunits" and 40a and A3l by units l0 and lia. The vibrators lare cradled on the summits 83 and Il. The wiring for these units' is shown at Il, 42, lia

5| and 42a. Preferably the vibrating bars are vi- I he opposite edge is adjustably arichorecl1 through a resilient support, generally indicated at 10.

The frame overhangsi in an arcuate fashion brated by electrically operated units, but equivalent means actuated by air, steam, etc., may be employed if desired.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, the slurry or suspension to be filtered is supplied to the tank underneath the rotating drum ll, for example through feed line I3, 'and the iilter cake is scraped oil' the drum by scraper blade i4. The vacuum is applied to the interior of the drum through a hollow axle I2 leading to suction boxes xed to the inside of the drum. As the illter cake is built up in thickness and the mother liquor removed therefrom, fissures or channels are formed which allow the surrounding air to pass through the cake, with the result that the vacuum is broken or weakened on that section of the periphery of the drum where the channeling occurs before all possible filtrate isremoved.

Vibration of the blades 2u and 30 in a radial direction brings about a puddling action which obviates the already formed or potential ssure simultaneously. with a compactlng of the cake.

Ordinarily the travel of the blades is not more than 1/8 inch. The relative proportions in Figure 2 have, as will be obvious, been exaggerated for the purpose of illustrating the eiect on the i'llter cake. The relative positioning ofthe blades about the drum is not limited to the 15 and 60 positions (from horizontal) shown in the drawing. Various factors, including the points of application and removal of vacuum in the circular path through which the drum surface travels, the location of the lter, the type of vibrating blade support available, etc., determine `the locations.

critical and may be varied to suit the space and material limitations encountered. The frame illustrated is built up of conventional channel and angle irons and side plates. In some instances cross bracing oi' this type of frame will be found helpful. 1

There is no need to burden this speciiication with details of the drum iilter. These are well known to those skilled in the art.

In Figure l the vibrators have been conventionalized for the sake of clearness. Details of the construction and operation of these vibratorunit devices are also well-known to those skilled i'n the The method of` supporting the vibrator units has a peculiar relation to the present invention, and a description of a typical arrangement is in order. Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the cross -support 83 has welded thereto a frame. (parts omitted in Figure 1) comprising angles 85 and 86 extending radially toward the filter drum.

. A cradle 81 is secured to these channels by clamping bolts. Slots in the cradle and/or angle frame permit adjustment of the position of the cradle. By means of the supporting bolt 88 (Figure 3) the radial distance' of the blade 20 from the tllter drum canv be regulated. This bolt moves ,the cradle to and from the surface of the drum Afor adjustment of the blade clearance. When the proper position has been reached, the bolts joining the cradle and the angle frame members 85 and I6 are tightened to maintain the adjustment. Brackets on the cradle and on the upper part of the frame comprising the angles 85 and II provide apertures for locating the said bolt Il.' The vibrator unit is secured to the cradle by means of rubber cushioning units such as I8. A'I 'liese unitsrcan be of lthe type of the cushioning unit shown inii'gure 5, or can be conventional b olts having molded Vrubber, covers or. any other desirable arrangement.

`The cushioning unit shown in Figure 5 commembers 14 and 15, is secured to the plate 10 byy nut and -bolt 1B. Rubber units 11 and 18, also slotted to receive the lateral piece 13, separate and cushion the`piece 12 between the uprights 14 and 15. Another plate 19 and the cover frame 80 are welded to the angles such as 12, to form an integral unit which receives the rounded head I6 of the screw l5. Movement of the hand wheel I1 raises or lowers the outside of the frame, causing said frame to pivot about'the units 60. This follows because the screw I5 is threaded through a. trunnion-like member which is a part of and free to rock in the frame 8. Movement of the frame gives an equal radial movement ci the blades toward or from the center of, the drum.

Resilient pivots 6U on the side of the frame opposite the aforementioned hand wheel, have a construction similar to that just described. There the plate 6I is bolted to the oor, and a bolt 62 secures the lateral member 63 and the two upright members 6l and 65 to the said plate El. The rubber units which cushion the angle member 66 are shown at 61 and E8. The intermediate plate 69 is joined to this angle piece 66 and channel 1 of the frame 8.

As previously poind out, it may be desirable to add angular braces to the frames for the purpose of increasing rigidity. Similarly, the side members 8| and 82 may have secured thereto laterally extending anges to give a unit of angular cross-section for the same purpose. Trio angular plates extending across the angle of such pieces will still further improve the structural rigidity of the frame.

The vibrating bar or blade is preferably. though not necessarily, thin. A thin blade gives a better u puddling action. The vibration should be of high enough frequency to assure. puddllng of all portfons of the cake as it travels underneath the vibrating blade.

^` I n the preferred mode of operationvthe vibrating blade does not move upward, during its vibration, far enough to lose contact with the lter cake. It may, therefore', be better to define the vaction on the cake a's shaking, tamping or vibrating, rather than a. tapping, which latter term might indicate that the blade separates from the cake on the upstroke. The vibrating blade acts somewhat as a doctor knife does in coating operations, in that a small roll of the cake material piles up back of the blade.

Vibration speeds ,upwards of 15 per second arel utilized. Preferably high frequencies, for'examplev strokes per second, are employed.

, Many advantages of the present invention will be apparentirom the foregoing. .Particular attention shouldbe called to the important decrease I departlng from the spirit and scope thereof, it is 'I to be understood um uns invention is not limited to the speciilc embodiments thereof except as dernned in the appended claims.

claim:

ot lter cake, a bladed puddling element for said cake operatively disposed with respect to said illter the biaded thin edge portion of which is incontact with said cake. and means for automatically impartinga vibratory movement to said element whereby the bladed portion thereof will exert a` puddling action on said. cake.

3.*Filtration apparatus comprising in combination a rotary vacuum drum filter carrying a .layer of iilterV cake, abladed paddling element for said cake operatively disposed with respect to said lllter the bladed thin edge portion o! which is in direct contact with said cake, and electroresponsive means associated with said puddling element for imparting a vibrating movement to saideiement and a consequent puddling action by the blade portion thereof on said cake.

4. Filtration apparatus comprising in combination arotary vacuum drum lter carrying a layer offllter cake, an arcuate frame cooperatively arranged with and overhanging said drum and cake provided with transverse supporting members carrying electrical vibrator units. blade.

members having their knife edge portions in contin contact with said-cakeandsecured to said vibrator units. whereby the latter D011 being energized imparts a vibrating action to said blades in a restricted radial direction to exert a puddling actiononsaidcake. l

5. A method for increasing nitrate removal from a iilter cake dispoald on al continuous vacuum iilter, comprising puddiing said cake along a narrow. transverse area while applying suction thereto, and effecting said puddling through the action of acontinuously vibrating blade element having a Athin edge portion maintained in continuous contact with said cake throughout said puddling action.

6. A method for increasing nitrate removal from a iilter cake disposed on Vthe continuous vacuum iilter, comprising puddling .said cake along a narrow, transverse area while applying suction thereto, and eifecting said lpuddling 7. An apparatus for improving liquor removal from` the cake of a continuous vacuum filter which comprises in combination with said drum type iilterl a vibrating bar provided with a blade Y member, the restricted edge portion -of which blade member is operatively disposed for con tinuous contact with and adapted to tap the cake while it is under vacuiun, and means for vibratroan n. mr'cianrurir.4

ing said bar. 

